Laughed Until We Cried
by H. Black
Summary: This is the Sequel to Cried Until We Laughed. Can Jake and Leah out do the imprint? Does true love really conquer all? Follow Leah and Jake as they figure out there crazy lives as they deal with the everyday problems two teenage wolves face.
1. Its Gotta Be Love

**A/N: Hey all! So here we are with the sequel. I have no patience so I got this up as soon as I finished it. Sorry if I didn't leave enough suspense for you all or whatever. This sort of just jumps right into everyday life for Leah. No time for explanations or anything. She's a busy gal. Lots of soaps to watch and junk food to eat. We need some background notes though. But I'll save those for an ending AN. Happy reading.**

"Please?"

"No, Seth," I responded angrily. "I am not going to the Monster house with you. Stop asking."

I reached across the table and grabbed a spoon, only to throw it at his head. He dodged it only frustrating me more. This was just another one of our early morning arguments. For a while things were normal and Seth didn't get on my nerves but for the past week he'd been pushing it. I bet Jacob had ordered him to be this annoying. I wouldn't know since I avoided phasing whenever Jacob was. It was hard, too; trying to avoid him for months.

"Sis, come on!"

"Don't whine, Seth," I reprimanded him. "It's very unbecoming."

"It's been six months, Leah," he yelled. I was making him angry too. "At least go and see Rosalie and Alice."

"Nope," I stood up from the table and went to walk away

. "I don't play with people who support the 'Let's Break Leah's Heart' club."

"But they don't!"

"Obviously they do."

"Oh get off it. They just don't want you to hurt Renesmee."

"And I haven't hurt her have I?" I wanted to tear the little brat to pieces but I decided that would be a big mess for everyone to clean up. And if I was dead who would make the packs' lives miserable? Nope, I needed to stay a live and cause mayhem.

"Listen to me: They. Do. Not. Want. Her. With. Jacob," his tone was annoyed and he was moving his arms around disturbingly. "So, go work out a plan with them.

I turned back around and stared at him. Seth had done such a good job letting me do this on my own and on my own terms for so long and now he just wanted to screw things up. "Well, they can't do anything about it so a 'plan' is useless. You can't fight gravity Seth. Just like you can't make me go."

"But I can." Jacob stepped through the door and was staring between me and Seth. He had an uncanny ability to show up when he wasn't wanted. It was easy for him though since he was never wanted. At least I wasn't sharing the bastard's thoughts. "Leah, get ready. You're coming with us." His voice had that tone I couldn't ignore. I'd been Alpha slapped.

"Goddamn, Seth," I whined. "Do you hate me now too?"

He just shrugged and walked out of the room. I was going to take that as a yes.

"I hate you," I spat at Jake before storming off to my room, stomping my feet the whole way.

"Tell me something new, Leah," he called after me chuckling. I picked up a shoe and threw it at his stupid, smug face before slamming my door.

I hated Jacob Black. I really did and not for just breaking my heart. He stormed into _my_ house giving orders. And he acted like he knew some big secret I didn't and that he enjoyed watching me trying to figure out what said secret was. He was annoying and worse than a twelve year old boy. I'd rather hang out with Embry than him.

"Really? I bet Embry would be happy to hear that," Jacob chuckled from my doorway.

I hadn't realized I was mumbling my thoughts out loud. That could potentially be a problem. "Did you knock?"

"No."

"What if I was changing?"

"What if?" He asked smugly. I shot him a glare. "Okay, okay We'll see if I can remember to knock next time."

"Wait there won't be a next time: STAY OUT OF MY ROOM!" I smacked him and the pushed past him heading towards the living room where Seth was waiting on the couch.

"Let's get this freak show on the road," I said in a fake cheery voice, ushering the boys out the door.

They both just rolled their eyes, Seth had turned into a mini Jacob and Sam, so annoying and so in my business.

We were going in one of the Cullen's cars since I was expected to look presentable and phasing would just ruin that. By presentable I mean I was suppose to wear a shirt that fit right and shorts that didn't have more holes than material. I tried my best.

"Can I go back home, please?" It was horrible. I had finally reached my all time low. Pleading with Jacob. "Please? Please? If you ever cared at all you wouldn't make me do this."

I also wasn't fighting fair. That statement was uncalled for and I saw a look of hurt flash across Jacob's face as Seth smacked himself in the forehead.

"Don't-"Jake started sounding angry but then he got all calm."Leah, please just give this a shot."

What the hell was he even talking about? Give what a shot? I tried being friends with the leeches, I really did. Hell, I was friends with them until I was stabbed in the back.

"You make no sense. Whatsoever." I left the yard where we were standing by the vehicles talking and jogged up the stairs and commenced banging on the front door, rudely.

Dr. Sparkles opened and I pushed right past him. I heard Seth and Jake apologize for my behavior and heard the Saint Doctor tell them it was quite all right. I hated how kind he was. Probably because he was the polar opposite of me.

"Leah," Carlisle addressed me. "The girls are upstairs waiting for you."

I spun around in a circle and the pointed to the stairs, before walking that way. "Upstairs."

The three of them looked at me like I was crazy and right when it seemed Carlisle was going to ask me a question the wolf boys just shrugged. Seeming to give up Carlisle headed towards his office. I counted the steps as I walked up them hoping that one of them might swallow me whole. But alas fate continued to hate me and I found myself being stared at by four determined looking vampires.

"You can not do this to Jacob!" Emmett yelled.

"Please Leah. They're driving me insane," Jasper was rubbing his head.

"That mutt can NOT be part of my family," Rosalie spat.

"It's for his sake, really," Alice added.

I'd never been more confused in my entire life. What were they going off at the mouth about? Did they want to kill me? My brain was going to explode from the overload of vampires screaming at me!

"Why are you all screaming?" I asked them flabbergasted.

"Because you're ruining our lives!" Emmett said. He was like a dramatic girl.

More yelling began before I decided I could get louder.

"HOLD UP A DAMN MINUTE!" They all stopped and looked at me. "What exactly are you crazy vampires talk about?"

It looked like they were all going to start yelling again at once so I held my hand up to stop anymore madness that might come about. "Slowly. One at a time. Let's start with Rosalie." I pointed to her and then walked over to the empty chair and fell into it lazily. I felt I might be there for a while.

"Well, we do not want Jacob with Renesmee," she started and then stopped. She looked at me to see if I was listening. "And he doesn't want to be with her, obviously."

I felt my jaw drop as I stared at them. "You're crazy. Really, you are. She is his IMPRINT. Did he explain that to you?"

"Yes, he did. But we think that it can be overcome," Alice explained.

"Nuts," I muttered. I felt my face getting redder and redder. And I was shaking like mad. But I was trying to not phase in the middle of their home.

"Lady Wolf, chill out," Emmett's booming voice said as he was laughing. I didn't know what was so funny.

"I wouldn't be upset if you weren't being completely ABSURD!"

"Oh shut up," Rosalie snapped, "You want this to be possible as much as we do. You want you and Jake to be together. We want you and Jake together. Jake wants to be with you. We can make this work."

"He is imprinted on your niece. IMPRINTED. YOUR NIECE. He's perfect for her. No one could ever treat he better than he would." Jake must be a very bad explainer if they didn't see the perks of their precious little niece having an imprint.

"Bullshit," Emmett said.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Obviously you're going to be ridiculously difficult," Rosalie started airily, "But this can work. You love each other. Rensemee doesn't need a husband-"

I cut her off, "Yet."

"She loves Jake. She'll want what's best for him and that's you," Alice told me. She was acting like this was a fairytale. "I mean we told you before, we dig the whole same species thing."

"Yeah, we could totally set Nessie up with Nahuel when she's old enough," Emmett roared happily.

"There's no reason to be scared, Leah, this will work," Jasper told me soothingly.

"Colonel-"

"You're demoting me Leah."

"Whatever, stop reading my emotions," I snapped.

"Leah, listen to Jasper, you'll make him all jumpy with you're crazy wolf girl emotions." Alice was so petite..and odd.

Crazy wolf girl emotions, not to be confused with PMS which actually involved another step besides mood swings. I didn't miss that step.

"You guys are insane. Do Jacob, Bella, and Edward know about this?"

"Yes. Jake is thrilled as is Edward. Bella is, Bella," Rosalie said waving a hand dismissively as if what they thought didn't matter.

I sat there and deliberated what all they had said. Sam left me and didn't come back even though I know for a fact that he used to love me. I told Rosalie that.

"Sam is a coward," Rosalie explained. "He didn't fight for you."

This could be true. Sam really never wanted to be like his father and go off and leave, with Emily that wasn't possible. He'd never leave her. Maybe he really did just take the easy way out.

"Touche." I gave her that one.

I got quiet again. I wouldn't forgive Jacob but I could watch and see if he really didn't want to be with Ness that way. Besides my heart already looked like Swiss Cheese, what did I have to lose?

"JACOB!" I hollered knowing that he could hear me with his super wolf hearing senses. "JAAAACCOOBBBB!" I had to yell again. He wasn't moving quick enough.

Jacob entered the room with that awful smile on his face. It was so bright and cheery. It grossed me out. "Am I forgiven? Does she get it?" He looked at Emmett hopefully. Apparently Emmett was the only reliable source of information in the room.

"No, you are not forgiven, stupid." He could be dense.

I watched as his face fell sadly. He was really hoping that the leech family could talk me into crawling back to him even though I knew he had an imprint.

"Oh, well, why are you yelling at me?" he asked sadly.

"Because she loves you," Emmett said, acting all sappy.

"Shut up Emmett!" Rosalie and I yelled at the same time.

"I am yelling, Jacob, because this was a stupid idea," I was going to continue but Rosalie gave me this sharp mom type look. "And also because maybe I believe you don't wanna be married to Chucky's Spawn."

I had to dodge a lot of "don't say that" looks but I just ignored them. "You're gonna have to used to that, Jake if you wanna make it work. I'm not going to change my views on her. If I didn't dislike her because she's your imprint I would dislike her because she's..well, she's Edward and Bella's child. I mean c'mon."

Really there was truth to my words. And they couldn't deny it. Edward and Bella managed to get on everyone's nerves at some point in time.

"Fair point" Jake allowed. "I mean so we're..boyfriend and girl-" I cut him off.

"No we are not. We're working through this. You might still leave me for Nessie." It hurt calling her by her name but I did it.

"Aww, Leah you're a bitch," Jake said moving forward to wrap his big arms around me.

I laughed and wrapped my arms around his waist, hugging him back. I wasn't sure how this was going to end but my heart was just about dead anyway so I didn't think that a few more stabs to it could hurt.

"Now can I go home?"

"Yeah, Leah, go ahead," Jake laughed and pushed me out the door.

"Are you coming?" I asked.

"I need to, well, Ness.." he looked all pitiful and like he was torn.

"It's fine, kid, I'll see you later," I smiled at him slightly before letting it fall. "Just so we're clear I still do hate you. I've just briefly lost my senses." And with that I walked downstairs and headed for the front door. Seth met me there and gave me a look.

"If it doesn't work this time, I'll really kill him for you, sis," Seth said, smirking slightly. "Don't give him your whole heart until he proves he deserves it."

I nodded my head silently before stepping out the door. I phased, ruining my clothes, and took off running. I needed to think and sort out what exactly I'd agreed too.

I was so head over heels for Jake that I wasn't using my brain the right way. Never before had I been this irrational. It had to be love.

**A/N: I hope that you liked it and if you didn't, sorry. But, obviously this takes place 6 months after the nonexistent battle. Rant: I wish there had been a battle. I should write it. End Rant. So 6 months after the battle, I'm not going to write about it here because it's unneeded. Embry and Quil are in Jake's pack now and things seem to be all peachy. But they're not..or are they? Leah might be a little OCC with her forgiving Rose, Alice, Jazz, and Emmett. You do need to remember they are the only real friends the kid has got. So let her be with that. Updates soon, you know me.**


	2. Worth a Thousand Words

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. I had a busy weekend since I was out at the barn all day and then had to babysit. My shoulders are killing me since I almost got thrown and I've got strep throat or the flu, or the plague..not sure which, I'll know tomorrow for sure. So yeah I feel yuck and this is probably horrible but I wanted to get something up. Yes, yes Leah is being nice. Get over it. She's growing up. **

"Errr…Hi, Nessie," I said when the freaky little child approached me. She had her arm extended and I knew she wanted to touch my face but it was just so damn weird.

Really the kid needed help. She needed friends and she needed a life away from her over protective vampire family. If I didn't despise the little brat so much I'd offer to take her out and show her the world but I _did_ despise her so that plan was no go.

Nessie just inched her hand closer to my face, not saying a word. I looked around helplessly and just saw Jake nod at me. Making a face I looked at her and smiled sort of. "Go ahead, kid."

Her palm was cool on my burning skin but it was nowhere near as cold as the rest of her family. It felt rather good but I'd never admit to that even though I heard Edward laugh from the other room. He'd better keep his mouth shut. Nessie showed me myself. It was the day she was born and the look of pain on my face. And then there was confusion as she grew and I wasn't around even though everyone talked about me. The last thing she showed me was the day I came back and how happy Jacob was and that she was happy because _he_ was happy. All she wanted was for him to be happy and since he liked me she liked me.

I was stunned as I watched her pull her palm away and just stare at me with those big brown eyes of hers. "Hey, thanks for that. You're not so bad either." She smiled and I was happy to see her teeth looked normal. Despite the fact her family didn't have fangs I always wondered about her. I actually wondered how her and Jacob's relationship would be if she had fangs. Would that like, be okay, in a kinky way? Edward just groaned.

"You don't like to be touched," Nessie stated. For someone only six months old she was very intuitive. She looked like she was about four or five and she acted even older. Time was flying by for the kid. They needed to buy her some toys and introduce her to boy bands. Not just that classical crap her father likes.

"No I don't." Physical contact really bothered me. I wasn't the 'hug all the time' kinda gal. "But that's how you talk so it's okay." Well I'd have to be okay with it trust me this contact with Nessie wasn't by choice. As I've said before the desperate girl wolf running out of option so she was working with the available options.

This was so awkward. I mean I could just see us talking about how I wanted her soul mate for my own but maybe she didn't want to be Jacob's Nessie. Maybe she wanted to be her own Nessie.

"That's why I'm on your side." Edward was in the room all of the sudden. It was just creepy when they did that. "You should use your big wolf ears to hear when I'm coming. Aren't they so much better to hear with?"

Edward was lame and he made lame jokes. Little Red Riding Hood I ask you?

"Now, lover leech, you're on my side why?" I was really quite curious. I hadn't really discussed this situation with anyone. Actually I avoided it like the plague.

"I want her to be able to make her own choices."

"Good reason pops."

Nessie was just staring back and forth between us. But I knew she had an inkling of understanding of what we were talking about. She had too.

"She knows you're going to be part our life now. Part of her life."

That was true. Even if things worked out for happily ever after with Jake and I, Nessie would still be a part of our lives. You can't terminate and imprint but you can decide what role you play in the imprintee's life. Which was what Jake was doing he was deciding to be like a brother rather than a lover.

"Oh, okay." I didn't really know what more to say so I stood up. I'd go find Rosalie or someone else that I wouldn't have to have stuffy conversation with. "Umm, bye, kid. Don't be afraid to come talk to me..or show me stuff. I don't bite" I ruffled her hair as I walked past her.

She grinned widely and then looked over at Jacob who gave her the thumbs up. I wasn't sure what that was all about so I just left the room before anything else weird could happen.

I was standing in the middle of the living room trying to figure out where everyone was. The house was always so quiet unless Emmett was watching football or Alice was dancing around singing like a fool. But none of that was going on.

"Pssst, Leah," Rosalie stuck her head out of the door that led to Carlisle's office. Blinking several times I looked around and then headed for the room. When I was all the way in Rose slammed the door shut.

"You guys are weird," I said simply. "What are we up to now? Am I seducing someone else? Because I'm not Jacob I think I can only handle one relationship at a time."

"That's not funny, Leah," Bella said from her spot on the little love seat.

"Really?" I asked. "I thought it was."

Our relationship had gotten no better. I still thought she was selfish and she still thought I was a bitch. We thought right about each other but that still didn't make it okay.

"Hey! Guess what?" I asked them all. I knew they'd be proud of me.

"What?" Creepy Jasper asked from behind a really thick book.

"I talked..well she did her-" I held my hand up and reached to touch Rosalie's face to demonstrate. "Nessie and I communicated!"

"Really?" Alice asked.

"Did you cuss out a kid, Leah?" Emmett asked.

"Oh, good job Emmett. Way to show your support for Leah," Rosalie scolded her husband. "That's good, Leah. What about?"

"Oh, how she likes me."

Bella made a face. "Hey, get over it Princess. She and I are going to have to get a long."

"Why do you call me Princess?" Bella asked in a dull voice. Actually all she had was a dull voice. The girl had no personality.

"Yeah, I think Rosie should be the Princess." Emmett put in as he threw a baseball up and down up and down.

"I like Rosalie," I explained simply.

"So Princess is a derogatory term?" Alice asked.

"Well, yeah." Really they didn't know much. "I used to call Rose Princess, but now she's like my favorite person ever."

"Awww, I love you too Leah!" Rose squealed.

"Whoa, hold the phones! Rose loves someone!" This was Jasper. "I've never really felt that emotion come from her unless it was about Emmett. And that's just a given."

I'd done the unthinkable. I'd managed to make Rosalie Lillian Hale be my friend. And, yes, we did go around calling each other by our middle names.

"Shut up Jasper."

"My life with you guys is pointless. Nothing ever happens." Truly in six months my life had gone from horrible to fucking awful. I didn't even get to have a little drama with Paul or Sam. Really, I rather missed when something, anything could happen.

Then it was dark. I couldn't see anything. "What the fuck?"

"Shhh," Jake said, as he tightened a blind fold over my eyes. "I'm kidnapping you. That's something happening, right?"

"I don't want _you_ to kidnap me."

"Then tell me Leah who would you like to kidnap you?" Jacob's voice was full of sarcasm.

"As opposed to you?" I asked before making a 'mmm'ing noise and tapping my chin. "There's Brad Pitt. And then there is Ben Affleck, oh and Ted Bundy."

I heard all of the vampires, minus Bella, laugh at that.

"What? Bundy was sexy. And highly intelligent." This was all true. Ted Bundy did not look like a mass murderer and he was in law school. And in all of his interviews he was highly charismatic.

If I could see, I'd imagine that were all staring at me with perplexed looks on their face. But oh I couldn't see! Stupid, annoying, imprinted, want to be boyfriend, werewolf.

"Shut up Leah!" Jake roared, grabbing my hand and pulling me up. "I'm trying to do something nice for you and you're talking about mass murderers!"

"Hey, I get off on those mass murderers!" I said purely to tease him.

I heard him groan and push me out the door while Emmett and Jasper's laughter boomed out.

"Girlie, you're gonna be the death of me."

"Jay-ke," I broke his name into two as he intertwined his fingers with mine, helping me down the stairs. His hand twitched so I decided to try it again. "Jayyy-kee…where are we going?"

"Stop doing that Leah," he snapped, his fingers twitching. "It's a surprise. Must you ruin everything?"

I snorted. "Quite the charmer aren't you Black?"

"Do you have to make my life even more difficult?" He sounded like he was whining. So I was winning.

"I didn't make you imprint on your ex-love's daughter who happens to be a half-leech," I snapped. I heard the beeping of a cars' doors being unlocked. And the I was being shoved into the front seat of said car. "So I really don't think your life is difficult because of me."

He slammed the door and I assumed he walked around to the other side of the car and got in because the next thing I knew the ignition was turned on and we were backing out of the driveway. But it was possible that it was the magical car driving faeries.

"You could try being nice," he suggested.

"Ehh, I'd have to try_ really_ hard," I said. "I'd have to try so hard it might hurt."

I wanted to smack him because he was laughing so loudly but I couldn't see where he was. And if I went to just swinging I might cause an accident. I didn't want to die in a car, with Jacob, with a blindfold on my face. They might actually think Jake was another Bundy.

"Hey!" Jake said finally. "We're almost there!"

I twirled my finger around in the air. "Whoo!"

"You're killing my mojo."

"Mojo?" I asked. "You're an idiot."

"I'm your idiot, though," he smiled brightly.

"Nope I told you already that you're not my boyfriend."

"Oh please, Leah," he said. "I'm really trying here. I think I've done good. Everyone totally gets it."

"Gets what?" I asked. "Take this off me!" I pointed to my face.

"No. You'll peek."

"You're killing me," I muttered.

"Well, you're always killing me." The boy never missed a beat. I had to give him some credit. "But we're here..so in like, less than 5 minutes I'll take it off you. Actually, I can take more than the blindfold off you, if you wanted."

I could just imagine that grin on his face. The one that pissed me off and brightened up my day at the same time.

"Really, when I can see again I'm going to kill you, Jacob."

"Ok."

The car came to a halt and I fidgeted around for my seatbelt. The sooner I escaped from whatever leech owned vehicle I was in the sooner I'd be allowed to see again. "Patience," he muttered. I'm just assuming here, but he must have climbed out of the car, walked around and opened my door. I can say with confidence that he leaned across me, because I could feel his body heat and smell him, and undid my seatbelt.

"I promise when you see you'll be so happy that you'll forget you ever hated me," his voice sounded so cheerful and happy. Boy was he in for a surprise. Nothing he could do would make me happy.

My hand was in his again and he was leading me down a path while giving me instructions like 'step up', 'step down', 'careful of that log' and other really cute things. Or I thought it was cute anyhow. Then all of the sudden we stopped, but Jacob had to pull me back a step because I'd walked ahead of him. I couldn't help that everything was dark.

"Now, I'll take your blindfold off now," he reached up and did just that.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw where we were. I mean, damn. I thought for sure Jacob was going to have some hair brained scheme but no, this was probably the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me.

Words were failing me and all I could say was, "Oh my god, Jake" and reach up and hug him.

**A/N: Cliffhanger cause I'm too sick to keep thinking about this. It's taken me 12 hours to get this done.**

**I love Bundy. Really, I do. I mean sure he was all creepy and killed people, but he really was handsome and charismatic. Now I've probably scared all you readers off! Which would make me really sad. So, even after spending ALL day on this update(I wrote the other AN at like 10 this morning) I still don't feel better. I'm thinking it's the flu or the plague not strep. So review and make me feel better! I swear it'll help. Jake's starting to get a brain and I decided if Nessie could not be Jacob's wife or soul mate I might like her..but we'll see.**


	3. Quick Thrills and Mood Kills

**A/N: Good God! Do you guys know how hard it is to write something while watching American Idol and LOST? I get so distracted. So still sick here on the home front, which is why my updates are slower than normal. Sorry for that guys. I'm out for the rest of the week so I'm pushing for two updates a day Thurs. and Fri. We'll see what happens**.

Some girls need diamonds and fancy cars. And those girls aren't happy unless they have four star hotel suites and five star restaurants with caviar. Sure, all of that stuff is nice, and I wouldn't complain if someone gave me diamonds, but I don't need any of that. And if Jacob had done something ridiculous like get me any of that or if he had taken me somewhere fancy I would have kicked his ass. Not because I was ungrateful that he was trying but because he didn't_ have_ to.

Really, I'm a simple girl and I'd rather be happy because Jacob thought something out for me, not because he spent tons of money. Money that we all knew none of us had. Kids who don't go to college, have no times for jobs, or break everything they own and have to replace it all, don't have money. That's why the simple blanket with a wicker picnic basket on one corner touched me so much. And I really loved picnics. Probably because I watched Armageddon too many times and the 'Animal Cracker pillow talk' scene really got to me. I _am_ a girl, you know.

"It's not that much, Lee," Jake murmured into my hair as his cheek rested on the top of my head. For a girl as tall as me it was nice to have someone tower over my by seven inches. Jacob had stood there for the first few seconds after I hugged him but after the initial shock wore off he had let his hands move to my hips so he could pull me closer to him.

"Jake, if you had done something bigger I would have kicked your ass," I told him truthfully.

He laughed. "That's what Blondie told me."

Upon hearing that I pulled back so that I could look at him, with mock shock on my face. "You asked a leech for help?"

"I thought you liked Rosalie?" he asked with a frown on his face.

"I do but I didn't realize you were capable of doing anything other than insulting her," I explain, my voice too fast.

"Yeah, well I didn't have a lot of options. You're not the easiest person to get along with so I didn't have a lot of people I could go to for help," he explained as if he had another choice he wouldn't have even stayed so long in a room with my favorite leech.

"That's true but why can't you just decide to love Rosalie and dislike Edward?" I knew the answer but it would be fun to ask.

"I don't like Edward. We have a mutual understanding and that is Nessie's well being," he had that stupid imprint look on his face. "I don't like Edward." I could tell this was upsetting him. I suppose no one gave Jake enough credit. It can't be easy being that tied to your mortal enemies. I would not forgive him for imprint, but he can't control it, and I wouldn't punish myself for his stupid male wolfness.

"Hey, why are we talking about leeches? Isn't this Leah and Jacob time?" I smiled warmly. "Can't we pretend this isn't complicated for a few hours?"

I could be so assertive. This was suppose to be Jacob's surprise and here I was adding suggestions and sort of changing the direction that things were going.

"Hey, I was just getting to that," he grins moving his hands from my waist so he could grab my hand and haul me over to the blanket then push me down onto it. "Jake and Leah time. We can't even talk about the other wolves. It's breaking the rules."

I sat Indian style with my legs crossed while I picked at invisible fuzz on the blanket. "Are we allowed to talk about food?" I was sizing up that picnic basket.

One of my least favorite things about going wolf was being hungry. A day was like this: food, food, patrols, food, play with smelly leeches, god I'm hungry, food, let's go seduce Jake, food, food, and then there is some sleep thrown in there. Luckily I had super awesome metabolism so I didn't have to worry about gaining the gillion pounds of food I consumed.

"You're worse than the other guys," Jake whined. It was cute and annoying at the same time. Despite the annoying factor it made me decide that I might be able to postpone the eating thing.

'What would you rather we do?" I asked rolling my eyes once before staring at him.

It was dusk but it was still light enough for me to see everything that was Jacob. And every streak of sunlight that reflected of his muscles.

"I can think of several things," his voice was that husky tone that made my stomach flutter and his eyes were dancing. It took only seconds for his lips to crash with mine and it was oh so warm. Jacob's body was pressed against mine and we were falling back onto the blanket, my legs uncrossing and moving apart, so that he could lie as close to me as possible. It was like fire. My body heat mixed with his felt scolding but it wasn't a bad burning. I was so caught up in the kissed that my body pressed further up against his and my tongue went up to lick his lips. Jacob's mouth opened and our tongues pressed against each other and fought an age old fight for dominance.

Fingers tangled in his hair as his lips moved away from my mouth, down my jaw line and onto my neck. He sucked and nipped eliciting a low moan from my mouth and causing his body to shudder. One of his hands was gently caressing the left side of my face while the other was pressed hard into the ground keeping his body slightly propped up; when my eyes were open I could see the veins popping out of his fully toned arms.

"Jake?" I asked finally managed to get the fuzzy thoughts from my head and allowing several rational thoughts to return.

"Mmm," he managed to mumble hardly moving his lips from their exploration down my neck and onto my collar bone.

I couldn't believe I was about to ask him this question. I mean, couldn't I just be happy that we were both equally enjoying this kind of contact? "Are you thinking about Nessie?"

Obviously not. Stupid, stupid, Leah.

I felt Jacob's body go rigid, his lips stopped moving, and I thought I heard a growl from deep inside his chest. He sat back on his legs and glared down at me. I couldn't help but feel sheepish. I still stayed laying down on the blanket though.

I'm Leah Clearwater and I'm a mood killer. It doesn't matter that my boyfriend is a sexy, well built man; I'm still a mood killer.

"How can you even ask that?" He demanded. "Of course, I'm not. How could I think about her while I'm here with you? Honestly, Leah, who do you think I am?"

I don't remember the last time Jacob was this angry. Maybe when Sam tried to reclaim his pack and he was so rude to me but I don't even think he was _this_ mad then.

"Well, I don't know," I whispered. "Can you_ blame_ me for being worried? I mean she **is** your imprint!"

"God damn it Leah," he growled," This is about me and you! Me and you. This is going to be hard enough without us doubting each other. Please, have a little faith."

Faith? I didn't even know what that meant. Once upon a time I put all my faith in a person only to have them tear everything apart without even a backwards glance at the pieces.

"I'm sorry," I said, my voice still barely a whisper. "Really, Jake…this is _so_ thoughtful."

Jacob nodded and moved so he wasn't straddling me anymore. He sat next to me on the blanket and offered me a hand so I could sit up to. I wrapped my tan fingers around his slightly darker ones and hoisted myself up into a sitting position. I kept my fingers around his, though and with my other hand I wiped a lock of hair out of his face.

"I want this," he gestured to the two of us," to work. I want it more than I want anything else."

"You and me both," I said smiling at him. "Now how about we eat some of that food I smell?"

It was so easy for things to change with me and Jacob. We couldn't stay fighting and I had a hard time being mad at him though I'd have to say this time he was the one who should be pissed at me. And I guess that's why I thought it was meant to be. Like breathing even when things got awkwardly and ridiculously weird.

"Nessie made cookies," he said offering me what looked and smelled like a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. My favorite. Maybe that's what all the thumbs up were for earlier?

Why did the kid have to make it so hard for me to hate her?

But I smacked Jake anyway. "NO LEECHES MEANS NO HALF LEECHES EITHER!"

The big dumb alpha idiot just laughed and planted a kiss on my cheek as he shoved the cookie into my mouth, successfully shutting me up.


	4. The Trouble With Love Is

I, for one should know that fairytales don't exist. Well, for me they don't exist. Hell, anything _close_ to a fairytale doesn't exist for me. I knew this full well which is why I don't understand how I let myself get caught up in Jacob Black. He had an imprint. Fixation or addiction could very well be synonyms for 'imprint'. You can't get over an addiction without serious help and sadly 'Leah Clearwater' isn't a synonym for rehab.

Which is why I should not have been surprised that day when I was at the Cullen house without Jacob, because he was at him being lazy and I needed to see Rosalie, that Edward pulled me aside and told me we needed to talk.

"Leah," Edward began in that know it all voice of his, "Jacob lied."

I didn't get it. I mean everyone lies why was this lie such a big deal? "Ok, Edward," I said raising my eyebrows up. "People lie. But if you're so worried can you tell me what he lied about?"

"No."

That was really helpful and I told him that.

"I can't tell you but.." he looked like he was in pain. "That day of 'Leah and Jake time' he lied."

I could feel my face fall and the corners of my lip twitch, threatening to turn into a scowl. "About which part?" I hissed.

Edward put one of his cold, hands on my shoulder, "Maybe you should ask him."

Glaring at nothing in particular I nodded my head curtly before heading out the door. I waited until I was in the coverage of the woods to pull my clothes off and wrapping them around the cord on my ankle, and before letting the wolf in me take over.

Immediately my thoughts were bombarded by things like sports, girls, naked girls, and cars. Obviously it was Seth and Embry since Quil no longer took pleasure in naked girls. Imprinting was an odd thing. He liked toddlers in princess outfits these days.

'_That's not nice, Leah,' _Embry thought but I could tell he was trying not to laugh.

I growled at him and kept running to the Black's house.

'_Where's the fire sis?'_

I replayed my unpleasant conversation with Edward Cullen for them and I felt them both mentally wince under the weight of my anger.

'_What are you gonna do?'_ That was Embry sounding overly enthusiastic. Because the idea of me killing his best friend for lying to me didn't bother him. _'Hey, don't get my wrong. Jake's my bro. but you're crazy when you get angry.'_

'_Lee, don't kill him. If you kill him we might have to go back to Sam's pack,'_ Seth was always the voice of reason but he made a good point.

I was close enough to Jacob's house that I phased back before they could comment on anymore of my thoughts. I pulled my clothes on, took a few deep breaths, clenched my fists, and headed for the door. I banged on it loudly and waited for either Billy or Jake.

The sight before me when the door was opened was..interesting. Jake was standing there in nothing but a towel so low on his hips that it didn't leave much to the imagination. It didn't help that there was still droplets of water running down his body. That was all fine and good; I could stand to look at the boy from the neck down. But a purple toothbrush hung out of one side of his mouth, which was surrounded by tooth paste that was leaking out of his mouth onto the device, and sticking to the corners of his mouth. Hell, the boy was so messy there was toothpaste on his cheeks.

"Jeez, Jake, you're a pig," I said, smiling in spite of myself, as I slipped past him into the house. I couldn't help that as I went through the door my arm brushed his torso.

He held up a finger signaling for me too wait a second while he headed into the bathroom to get cleaned up. Awkwardly I stood in the living room trying to figure out how I was going to start this conversation. I'd walked to a wall looking at a family portrait of the Black family before Sarah, Jake's mom, had died. He looked so cute in little.

I was giggling so much that I didn't even notice he'd come back into the room and was standing right behind me. When I turned around there he was; still in that damned towel. Before I even realized it he had me backed against the wall, pressing every inch of his not clothed body into me, and was ravishing my neck in nibbles and licks. At this rate we weren't going to make it to talking.

I _wanted _him. Lord, how I wanted him and right about now I could say he was feeling the same way. But there was that little Edward voice in the back of my head, nagging me. Unfortunately for me and my need to get some from the man in front me the voice was right. We'd promised to have faith in each other and I couldn't do that if I knew he'd lie to me.

So I was pushing him away from me. "Jake, stop." He looked hurt but he took half a step back. "As much as I'm enjoying this-" His eyes lit up and he want to move his mouth onto mine but I pushed him back. "We need to talk Jake."

Those words always did the trick. It never failed. No matter what the situation people knew that 'we need to talk' was code for you are in a shit load of trouble.

"About what?" He took several more steps back and let me move around him so I could go sit on the couch. I watched him walk around the room to stand in the center and gaze down at me. My brain had turned into mush because I was staring at him, well his muscles, so intently.

"You think you could put some clothes on?" I asked meekly. Jacob rolled his eyes and walked towards his room. When he reappeared he'd thrown on some sweat cut offs. He sat down on the couch next to me, turned slightly so that we could face each other, and grabbed my hand.

"What's on your mind, sweetie?" You could tell Jacob had never been in a real relationship before. He didn't understand the 'you're dead, you're lucky to be alive right now, I might castrate you' glare. That one is only learned from experience.

"I was talking to Edward," he made a face but I continued on," And he told me something rather important. Well it sounds important anyhow."

Jacob, yes I was calling him 'Jacob' instead of Jake because he's in trouble. "What did Edward tell you?"

"Well, he told me that you lied to me a few nights ago," I was glaring and staring and I swear I was about to start crying. I didn't even know what the boy lied about but I was so terrified.

"Did he tell you what I lied about?" Jacob's voice sounded too distant and full of despair to be normal. He lied about something big. Or something that he thought would be a big deal to me.

That meant he was telling me the truth when he said Green Lantern was his favorite superhero. He must have also been telling me the truth when he said Spider-Man sucked. And we must have been on the same page about Brian and Dom being the truest Bromance there was.

"No, but from the tone of your voice it wasn't about your preference in super heroes and cars," I spat, snatching my hand from his. "So why don't you tell me?"

He didn't say anything for a few minutes and I was getting impatient. "I'm not getting any younger here Jake."

"Yeah, well you're not getting any older either," he muttered. I could tell he was pissed but there was no reason for him to be pissed at me. _He_ was the one lying.

"This isn't the time for you to be a smart ass, Jacob," I snapped back. "Just tell me before I decide to kill you no matter what you have to say."

Jacob jumped to his feet and his face was red with anger. He was shaking and looked like he was going to phase in the middle of his fathers house. "Fuck it. Fuck it all," he nearly screamed at me. Never before had any of the guys scared me but right now I was on the verge of being frightened.

"Jacob what's wrong?" I was pleading with him because he was so, so, so upset. "Tell me and I'll help you. We can figure this out together." I was on my feet now, too. Walking around the coffee table I put a hand on his face, making him look at me. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I think about he," he looked ashamed. "Sometimes even when I'm with you and I'm happy, because lord I swear I'm happy, I think about Nessie. I wonder what she's doing and if she's okay. Then sometimes she doesn't even cross my mind.."

"Oh," was all I managed to say. I should have known it had something to do with Renesbrat. It _**always **_had something to do with her.

"And I don't want to," there were tears streaming down his cheeks. "I didn't want to imprint and I especially didn't want to imprint on _her_. It's not fair. I should be able to be around you and think about you and only you..but I have some stupid wolfy connection with Nessie and it messes everything about. Because I love her and I love you. And the love I feel for both of you are so different they're on two different planets. I don't want to feel trapt, Leah."

He was crying and I was holding his body against mine, stroking his hair, telling him that it would be okay. That we could make this work even though it would be hard and that we both knew it wouldn't be a walk in that park. But that we were strong and we could handle it.

And he was still trembling.

"Jake, I'm really not mad at you. This isn't your fault," I whispered. His hands clutched my hips tighter. "I didn't expect you to completely forget about her."

"I want to but I can't," his voice was scratchy and hoarse.

"I know, baby, I know." It was so different being the one comforting him. But he needed me just like I needed him. I didn't know how in the hell we were going to fix this, my mind was in overload. I couldn't come up with a rational way to get out of this mess because imprinting was rational. It was something more. We needed an irrational spontaneous way to help us see things in a different light. See them in a way where it wasn't so gloom and doom.

As if he knew what I was thinking his lips crashed against mine with more passion and need than I'd felt from him before. His hands were pawing at the bit of flesh on my hips, trying to get me closer to him, and my hands had gone to tangle into his hair, pulling his face closer to mine. Our tongues danced together and his hands moved from my hips to my ass lifting me up. Without even thinking about it my legs wrapped around his waist and my ankles locked behind him. We were still kissing and it didn't seem like we'd come up for air.

And when we finally had to break apart the word that left our mouth simultaneously was, 'bedroom'.


	5. How to Fix the Trouble With Love

**ghA/N: Soooo, never written a scene like this before, but I tried and yeah. Probably it will be AWFUL and yeah…urgh. If it is..well I don't know what I'll do. Crawl in a hole somewhere? We'll see what you guys think I guess. Thanks again and I have to say I've reached my goal. I got a review from ****lacking a better name ****that wasn't criticism or telling me how I can approve. HUZZAH!**

_And when we finally had to break apart the word that left our mouth simultaneously was, 'bedroom'._

Sam was on the only man I've ever been with but it's not like it was just that once. I mean we were dating for several years and we had that whole teenagers with too many hormones thing going on. But, god damnit I wasn't going to think about Sam before, during, or after this moment.

So I threw myself even more into the kiss, pressing my body closer to Jacob's, wrapping my legs around his waist tighter. His lips never left mine as we moved our way from the middle of the living room to his bedroom at the back of the house. Our lips didn't even break apart when he slammed his door shut behind us, and then had my back pressed against said door. His lips were trailing scorching kisses down my neck and across my collar bone leaving bruising red marks in their wake. And then his lips were on the crescent shape of my breasts above my tank top and bra. Moving my body up and forward to give him better access I felt goose bumps as his tongue began tracing the curve there.

And then I wasn't against the door anymore, I was falling, we were falling onto his bed. I put my hands on his face and brought his mouth to mine once again; letting our tongues dance before I pushed him up. He sat back on his knees and stared down at me with this hungry look in his eyes. I was pleased to realize_ I_ was the food. I sat up and scooted away from him some before lifting my arms, not needing a hint Jake had ripped my tank top over my head. Biting my bottom lip I reached for his hands and guided them around to the back of my bra and helping him undo the clip. When my body was completely free of the material his eyes widened and I was pushed back onto the bed again. Jake kissed my lips once, twice, and then his attention moved elsewhere. Trailing down kisses down my neck and then to the valley in between my breast where he kissed, licked and sucked. My were rolling back into my head as my fingers massaged his hair. He was everywhere, his lips were everywhere, and it was bliss.

He held his body weight up with one arm and the other was lazily tracing down my sides, along my curves. My body shuddered and goose bumps were left. Then his fingers were on the button of my shorts undoing it carefully, sliding the zipper down, and almost on cue I lifted my hip up so he could slide them down slowly. They were thrown across the room without anyone to look where they landed. His eyes darted back up to mine and I nodded. Lightly, so light that I almost didn't feel it, his hands traced my hip bones, before he slide my underwear down my legs and calves; they to were cast off somewhere.

"God, you're beautiful," Jake growled before moving back up my body and kissing my lips again. And for the first time in a long time I believed someone when they said it. But he might have to try it again when I wasn't so caught up in passion and see if I still felt the same way.

"I think..I think you have too many clothes on," and my fingers moved to the rim of his sweat cut offs. No buttons or zippers there. I wonder if he planned it. I pushed them down part of the way before he took over, kicking them onto the floor.

Skin against skin. And it was so warm and I could feel Jake pressed up against my thigh and I lifted my leg slightly, rubbing against him. Jacob shuddered and I grinned. It felt good to have that effect on someone again.

His fingers trailed from my face down, down, down and then oh. It did feel nice. My hips moved up against him on their own accord and I heard a low growl from the back of his throat, and it just made me even more aroused.

Sex with growling was obviously a must for wolves.

"I've..I've never done this before," Jake whispered, nibbling my ear once, before looking into my eyes. I reached up a hand to touch his face.

"That's okay. It's just instincts, Jake," I murmured, before trailing my own fingers down his chest, and then across his lightly. " 'Sides, you're doing good so far."

And then Jacob was in me and I couldn't think about things anymore. My fingers where in his back, my lips were kissing every inch of him they could reach and he was doing the same. We fit together and no matter how cliché it sounds we were like corresponding pieces of a puzzle. Made to be together.

Jacob and I found a smooth rhythm and moved together in synchronized harmony. During a moment like that you don't keep track of time but before Leah knew it she was on the edge of a cliff, threatening to topple over, when Jacob pushed back into her, hard, sending her spiraling down in bliss as she repeated his name over and over like a mantra.

Our lips moved lazily together for a while longer before I snuggled up against him and we drifted into sleep, both of our breathing ragged.

When I woke up Jake was still passed out. He looked so cute with his mouth hanging wide open as he snored. Bringing my hand up I traced around his lips and brushed his hair off his forehead. Jake's eyes shot open and then as realization hit him a grin lit up his face.

"Hey sweetie," he said kissing my lips.

"Hey to you, too," I said against his lips.

I'd technically never slept with anyone. With Sam it was always a fuck and then we'd talk for a while before he'd take me home. Something silly about our reputations.

"Do you know what time it is?" he asked, yawning.

I looked over at the dresser by his bed and saw that it read six p.m. "Around six, when's your dad coming home?"

He groaned. "Too soon. We should get up." And then he was kissing me again, licking my lips.

I giggled. "I thought we were getting up?"

"I don't want too," he mumbled kissing under my jaw.

"You'd rather your dad find you in bed with Leah Clearwater?" I asked grinning. I heard that Billy once called me a wolverine. I only just realized that now people would probably start to find out about my and Jacob's dysfunctional relationship.

"I don't care who knows," he was kissing my cheeks, my forehead, and my nose.

"Heeeeyyyy Jakkkeeee!" Three voices chorused from the living room. My face flushed red. My baby brother and his immature friends were in the living room. Right down the hall from the room where I was laying naked with my boyfriend.

"I really hope you meant that," panic evident in my voice. "Get up before they come back here!" I had tossed the sheet off of my and I was fumbling around the room for clothes. I heard Jacob gasp and I rolled my eyes.

"This is not the first nor will it be the last time you see me naked, now get up!" I was pulling my clothes on quickly, trying to not look at Jacob for fear if I did that I wouldn't leave this room. And that would be very, very bad because I could be loud. Poor Seth didn't need to hear that.

When we were both fully clothed and looked somewhat like two people who hadn't rolled out of bed after sex we left the room.

"Hey, Jake," Embry started before looking at me startled. "And Leah."

"Hey," Jake said, trying to sound casual. And I waved giving Embry the finger. I was better at the act natural thing than Jacob.

"You didn't kill him," Seth said without reason.

"Yeah, I believe everyone can see that Seth," I said rolling my eyes and shoving him. Seth didn't pay any attention. He just went back to trying to set up the X-BOX.

"Did you two have sex?" Embry asked. Seth looked appalled and Quil who was trying not to laugh said, "Of course they did man."

"Scarred for life," Seth kept muttering while Jake and I stood there looking guilty for all of five seconds before heading hand and hand into the kitchen to find something to eat.

For a while at least things weren't complicated and they were just about us.


	6. The Girls Next Door

**A/N: Hiya, guys! Sorry updates are so few and far between. FCAT testing this week and then going back to school after a week off equals mucho makeup work. Can someone shoot me now?**

**Yay, Girls Next Door. I'm really very sad with the way things turned out but oh well. Does it surprise anyone that Emmett knows ALL about this? No? I didn't think so.**

**Another thing, this story does have a major 'le gasp event' I promise you won't be reading fluffy randomness forever. Things go down. I promise you. Patience is a virtue. For all you Edward lovers out there you know how important virtue its. **

Today Nessie looked seven. And as she ran around the yard chasing Emmett I decided that, despite her big brown eyes that mirrored Bella's human eyes, she looked more like Edward. She had his hair color, his nose, and even his smile. Her face was an exact duplicate of his only it was softened slightly so it looked more fitting on the body of a girl.

I was thinking about this because Nessie's looking more like Edward could definitely work in my favor. I don't think that Jacob could be _in_ love with someone that resembled his enemy so much.

A pair of arms snaked around my waist, a chin rested on my shoulder, and I felt a warm whoosh of breath on my neck. It left goose bumps.

"Hey, Jake," I said in a giggly voice that I didn't know I had. I turned around in his arms so that he didn't have to haunch over to rest his chin on my shoulder. It just took one smile from me for his whole face to light up. It was the smile that brightened my cloudy skies.

I took in his smile and how it crinkled the corners of his eyes slightly. And how it was evident even in his eyes that he was completely, one hundred percent, happy with me.

And then I took in the rest of him. It was like I had x-ray vision and I was using it to stare right through him, or maybe just through his clothes, even though he didn't wear very many of those. I could see his sculpted chest and abs and even the V that led to things below his cut off jean shorts. Truth be told I'd been thinking about Jacob a lot since that afternoon.

Even though it had only been a week ago I was getting very upset that there hadn't been an encore. I wanted him, no, I needed him. But for now just being around him would suffice.

"Hey, babe," he grinned kissing my lips once and then the tip of my nose.

"Ewww," Rosalie squealed. "Get a room. There are kids present." She was teasing us from her spot on the porch swing. She had her legs stretched out, taking up the entire bench. Rosalie was supervising Ness and Emmett. We needed to make sure Nessie didn't beat him up.

I leaned around Jacob's massive frame so that I could glare at her and childishly stick my tongue out.

It only made her laugh. I watched her go back to staring at Emmett and decided that since she had such blonde hair, and that since she could be such a bitch she would be a perfect candidate for one of Hugh Hefner's many girlfriends. Minus the whole need to drink blood thing she'd fit right in.

"Hugh Hefner?" a voice asked.

Ugh. Edward. I hated the Cullen's bad habit of just popping up and randomly joining your conversations. Since Edward decided to join us, Jake untangled himself from my arms and stood beside me, holding my hand. But Jake was always staring at me sideways and Rosalie just had a goofy grin on her face.

"Leah?" he asked, expecting me to answer him this time. They all just kept staring.

"He rocks. Hef is totally my hero," I started ignoring Rosalie's smirk, Edward's confused look, and Jacob's open mouthed gape. "I love The Girls Next Door."

"Hey, Hef's my hero too!" That was Emmett yelling from the yard, where he was cowering up a tree from Renesmee. She wanted to give him a full blown make-over. It reminded me of Quil with Claire, cept it didn't annoy me as much.

Of course Hef would be Emmett's hero. That's just _so_ Emmett. God, the stories Rosalie had told me about their healthy sex life. I always thought it was unhealthy but that was before I was getting any myself. Oh man. This was so not the time to be thinking about anyone's sex life.

"You watch The Girls Next Door?" This was Jacob, still looking like a boy; all dazed and confused.

"Obviously," I said raising my eyebrows. "I had lots of free time and not many good shows came on. Girls Next Door always had re-runs."

Really, that show saved my life and my sanity.

"I like Holly," Emmett was still hollering from up the trees.

"She was, yes was, long story don't ask questions, Hef's number one girlfriend-"

"And she had a nice rack!" Emmett was yelling some more. And he was being an idiot about it. Nessie was in the yard, Edward was on the porch. Hence Edward scooped Nessie up and fled our 'grown up talk' with the promise of killing Emmett later on.

With the Edward little kid drama done Emmett was on the porch sitting next to Rosalie, who slapped him.

"But yours is nicer, Rosie," Emmett assured her, while Jacob and I looked like I wanted to gag.

"Why don't I know anything about this show? Are there playmates on it?" Jacob was utterly baffled. I suppose he must've felt like not knowing about this show was a crime for guys. But it wasn't like porn. It was the girlfriends of Hef doing really random, crazy things that _only _the Playboy Mansion girls could get away with.

"One: it was when I was mad at you so you weren't invited to watch the marathons with me," I made point one while Rosalie decided to make point two, "If you keep thinking about sex and stuff while you're imprinted on his daughter, Edward might have you neutered."

"He wouldn't, would he?" Jacob asked, and the he brushed the thought away with the swipe of his hand. "He can read my thoughts. He knows none of them are about Nessie. He wouldn't."

"Oh thank God," Rosalie and I said at the same time.

"Don't underestimate Edward. He's..he doesn't think about sex," Emmett said, rubbing his chin as if he'd pondered this concept countless times.

"Can you read minds now, dear?" Rosalie scoffed, while she tried not to giggle. I had a hunch there was some truth to this implied prude-ness of Edward.

"That's just too much," Jake muttered.

"Don't he and Bella?" I asked.

"I think they study."

I pondered this and shrugged. These vampires were so much different than us wolves. We liked sex a lot. I remember seeing things in the guys heads that would haunt me for years. Well, Sam and Emily stuff haunted me for different reasons. But all of Paul, Embry, and Jareds'(before Kim with random girls, after Kim with Kim) conquests as they called them showed that they really liked sex. Even more than your average teenage boy. And I knew I liked sex.

"How odd," I muttered. This topic didn't really bother me to talk about.

"I'm going to throw up," Jacob tried to relinquish his grip on my hand but I held on, pulling him back so that he bumped into me.

"No, stay here. We'll talk about something else," I assured him, glaring at Rose and Emmett for getting me started.

"The weather?" Emmett suggested.

"Idiot, why not, ummm, pack drama?" Rosalie asked.

"Our pack is like the big stupid Alpha, me, the kid brother, the bastard, and fairy princess. Not much can go on." They all knew I was joking about my nicknames for the boys in my pack. I loved them all dearly. The bastard thing was Embry was just like him calling me a bitch. Our idea of goofing off.

Being in a pack wasn't so bad if Sam wasn't in it. Plus being in a pack with Paul was just as bad because he was annoying and there at the end he and Jake were always going at it. It was something about Jacob not wanting to see him in bed with his sister in such a vivid manner.

"Leah," Jacob scolded me, "There is no drama with our little pack. But with the bigger pack I'm sure things are crazy. I hear that we're supposed to have a get together with them. Like the elders are ordering it."

I had no knowledge of said meeting. And I let Jacob know that I didn't know about the get together and that I had no plans of attending.

"But you have to go," Jacob said, as if I was being ridiculous, "You're not just a part of the pack-"

"Or the girl you're fucking," I added. He growled. Rose and Emmett laughed.

"Shut up," he muttered. "You're my beta and your mom will be there."

"I spent six months with her," I whined.

"Your choice," Rosalie reminded me. When it came to my home confinement she was on anyone's side but mine.

"But," I started to protest again until I was interrupted again. This time it wasn't Jacob it was Rosalie.

"Leah, honey, if you don't go they'll think you're ashamed," Rosalie said in that mothering voice of hers. "Of being with Jacob and not being in the 'real pack'. Do you want them to think that?"

"Or is that how it really is?" Now Jacob was helping her. Emmett was doing that thing he does that makes him feel involved. I think it's called nodding his big, stupid, vampire head.

"Of course not. How could you think that?" I was pissed at them both now.

"Then you'll come with me," Jacob said, smiling. I wanted to be a smartass and tell him that I already had but I held it in.

"Fine, I'll be at the stupid get together, which I'm assuming is a bon fire. Those are the only get together us Quileute's get to have." My voice was bitter and if Jacob hadn't been holding my right hand my arms would have been crossed.

"The other pack will finally know about us," Jacob was like a school boy.

"I'm sure they do."

"They probably think it's a rumor," Jacob shook his head to nullify my previous statement.

"Woohoo, you can tell our parents."

He groaned and I kissed his cheek before running into the Cullen house.

A/N: Yeah, not my best. Lots of sillyness. But I needed to get something up. Review if you read it!


	7. Not All Change Is Good

_Brownies._

Jacob Fucking Black made me cook brownies for a bunch of stupid people that I don't even like. I would rather make blood-brownies for the Cullen's than to make regular brownies for my 'family' in La Push. I had agreed to go to this 'bonfire' but that didn't mean I would be happy about it and it certainly didn't mean I wanted to cook for them. I wasn't Emily.

"Lee, are you ready?" Jacob popped into the spare room at the Cullen house I'd been staying in when I wasn't going home or sleeping in wolf form.

"No."

"Well, you don't have a choice, babe. Let's go," And then he was in the room grabbing my arm and dragging me out.

I guess I didn't have a real choice in whether I was going or not. 'Sides it might hurt Jake's feelings. He would probably get that little brain of his going about how I was ashamed to be with him and only wanted him for sex or something stupid like that. He'd been playing with Emmett for too long.

By the time we made it to First Beach everyone else was already there. Sam and Emily. Paul and Rachel. Jared and Kim. And of course the other three from our pack: Seth, Embry, and Quil, who had Claire on his lap. Collin and Brady and seven other wolves who I didn't know that well. Most of them were five to six years younger than me. They really were pups.

Jake and I both climbed out of the car but that was as far as we got. I froze up when we reached the front of the Rabbit, which we had decided on rather than to borrow a leech mobile. I couldn't move as I looked at all of the people. The packs and then mom, Old Quil, and Billy. They were going to flip if Jake and I just strolled in there acting like we were playing house.

"Hey, come on," Jake said, looking at me with a funny look on his face. I couldn't describe what kind of emotion he was trying to depict.

"This is a bad idea," I said staring him straight in the eye.

"What?" he gasped out.

"You. Me. Here." I gestured to all three things.

Jacob just laughed and took my hand in his. I looked up and saw everyone staring at us. The look on Sam's face actually was really priceless. It was somewhere between shock and disgust. I just looked at my hand in Jacob's and decided that I'd been living with their looks and the whispers behind my back for a long time.

This wouldn't be any different. I would handle it just like I always have.

So with our fingers intertwined we made our way from the parking lot down the sandy beaches where the others had started a fire and dragged huge pieces of drift wood for people to sit on or around. They were just staring at us. Staring at our interlocked fingers. And the goofy grin that was on Jacob's face.

Emily was the first to come up to me. She hugged me and it was awkward since I didn't hug her at first but then I decided what the hell and wrapped my arms around her. I didn't forgive her but I was working on this 'don't be a bitter bitch' thing I promised Jacob.

"Lee," she whispered as if she were in shock. "I'm glad you're here."

"Yeah, well you know me," I shrugged and took a step back from her. "I never miss a party."

I grinned halfheartedly and then went back over to Jacob who was standing by his dad and the other elders now. He wrapped his arm around me when I got next to him. I smirked as he looked down at the three of them with a look on his face that seemed to say, 'What can you do?'

Billy and my mom just smiled. Old Quil seemed to be pondering something.

"Better her than the leech child," was all he said. For some reason when Old Quil called Nessie_ that_ it didn't bother Jake. It must be some elder respect type of thing going on.

"Oh thanks, so much," I said slanting my eyes at the old man. For some reason 'better her than the leech child' didn't sound like much of a compliment.

Like always the words of a wolf girl were ignored.

"What? No lecture?" Jacob asked looking first at his father and then my mother.

Billy's face broke into a smile," Nope." Everyone knew how he felt about his sons' imprinting on a Halfling.

"Leah is a grown girl and she's strong. I trust her judgment," was all my mom said. But then her lips pressed into a thin line. "I can't say that Seth will be as understanding if things go south, though."

I rolled my eyes and Jake smirked. It was either because he was certain he would not hurt me, or it was because he thought he could take Seth.

I was certain that things wouldn't end badly either. Well they wouldn't be like they were with Sam. This time I was more prepared for this stupid imprinting magic bull.

The elders had entangled Jake in some talk about the Cullen's future plans and I had no desire to stick around for that. I looked around and saw Embry and Seth sitting there looking rather like outcast. It was just evident that they were being slightly excluded in the way that everyone was acting. Things were easier for Quil because he had Claire. Claire was practically Sam's niece since she was really Emily's niece. Not to confuse anyone but Claire is also my..third cousin. Things were a little too close knit for my liking.

So as I made my way towards Embry and Seth I realized that it was an instinct I'd forgotten I had. It was maternal. I had the need to make sure that they were ok.

"Dweeb," I addressed Seth before sitting on the ground in front of them cross legged. I kind of waved my arm at the others in greeting.

"Bitch," Embry muttered even though a playful smile was evident on his face.

"Hey, Em, how's your dad?"

At the same time the three of us started laughing while the others just stared at us as if we'd broken some sacred law be speaking of that situation.

"Jeez, don't you guys know what a joke is?" Embry scoffed, still grinning like a fool.

"No they can't Embry. And Obviously they can't take the truth either because," Seth stopped and looked at me. I guess I had to finish his thoughts.

"I'm really a bitch, literally, and Embry really is a bastard." I said still smiling.

You would have thought we were cursing somebody's momma the way they were acting. Well, Paul was laughing until he caught Sam's eye. The man looked as if someone shot his dog.

"You should try being nicer to each other," Sam seemed to be on the verge of ordering us but he tried to make it out as just a suggestion.

"You should get a sense of humor," I snapped. "It was just a joke. No one got their feelings hurt. I didn't make anyone cry this time, Sam."

"That is true," Jared added.

"Really, dude, I'm proud of her," Paul added, winking at me.

Rachel and Kim were nodding. They were both nice girls and once upon a time Rachel was a really good friend of mine. But I knew that these days they had more in common with Emily. Hell, they had more in common with Claire than they did with me. The wolves imprints.

"We're proud of Leah?" Jacob had finally joined us. With him around I felt much more at ease. But maybe I was the only one. I noticed Sam's face tense up when Jacob grabbed my hand and locked it with his own.

"For not being a bitch," Embry told him.

"Oh, well I always knew she was capable of that," Jacob shrugged.

"Really? Or where you only sure of that after you decided to cheat on your imprint and start screwing her?"

Sam had crossed the line and everyone knew it. Even Emily.

"I am NOT cheating on Nessie. She is a child, first of all. And second I don't love her like that. You don't have to love your imprint that way!" Jacob was nearly yelling his words at Sam. He was shaking like a tuning fork. Jared and Paul noticed and made the girls leave, along with Quil, who took Claire with him.

" C'mon Jake," Sam was saying but Jacob was yelling some more. "You're just pissed because I'm strong enough to fight for the woman I love! I don't need magic to be in love someone like you! You left her and now you're jealous! You can't have them both, Sam!"

_CRUNCH!_

I heard the sound of flesh colliding with flesh. Sam punched Jacob in the nose. And there was blood squirting everywhere. For all of two minutes at least and then Jacob's body was healing itself. But none of that mattered as both boy, well I guess they were men, were running after each other; phasing as they went.

Both packs stood around the edge of the fire staring after our designated Alpha's and then looking at each other. Upon hearing a howl from deep in the woods I looked at the boys and nodded. In a flash we were all running towards the woods, throwing off shoes and clothing as we went.

It wasn't long before I heard the sixteen wolves in Sam's pack pounding after us. We couldn't hear them. And they couldn't hear us but there was anticipation in the air. I was worried too. Jacob and Sam were both great fighters. Someone could get hurt.

_Someone will get hurt,_ Quil was thinking as we approached the area were Jacob and Sam were circling eachother.

_I'm not getting anything from Jake. Just snarls and I'm seeing ripping flesh,_ Seth was watching the scene with worry in his yellow wolf eyes.

_Ripping flesh..hmm, I wonder, it's not because he's thinking of ripping Sam to pieces, is it?_ This was no time for anyone to be a smart ass. Stupid Embry.

_SHUT UP!_ Suddenly the voice of our Alpha was in our head.

_Let him think. I don't think he needs to lose._

This was just a fight, right? Right. Surely neither of them would kill each other.

We stood behind the side that seemed to be Jacob's stance while the other wolves crowded in the area behind where Sam had been standing. The air just felt heavy. And as I was staring at Jared, who was Sam's beta, I just wanted to rip his throat out. At the same time I was thinking that he was snarling at me.

I had the urge to defend Jacob and my pack no matter what the cost. I felt the same kind of feelings coming from Quil, Seth, and Embry.

Jacob and Sam were lunging and feinting and I could smell the blood in the air. It was coming from gashes on their bodies and it was leaking onto the forest floor to soak into the soil. Despite the urge I was fighting to attack the other pack my paws stayed firmly planted in the ground to watch the bigger fight.

That was until the sound of screaming girls filled our ears. Paul and Jared had their ears perked up before Sam did, but soon the three of them were dashing off to their darling imprints. I wanted to call Sam a coward but I couldn't talk to him in the form.

Before he made the dense brush of the forest Sam turned back to snarl at Jacob as if he were threatening him. We let out growls of our own.

Then he was gone.

_Jake, what happened?_

_What was that?_

_Were you going to kill him?_

_What was that..feeling? I wanted to rip Collin and Brady's throats out._

The guys were asking questions before Jacob could answer them. All I felt coming from Jake was despair and worry.

_Cullen house. Now,_ Jacob commanded us before dashing off in the right direction. _We need to figure out what's going on. Carlisle might be able to help. I've never wanted to arm another wolf, another person like that before._

As we ran I couldn't help but be terrified of the fear that gripped me. Change was coming for our packs. I could feel it. I didn't know what it was exactly. But I knew it wasn't the good kind of change.

**A/N: Dunn Dunn Dunn. What is happening to our furry little friends? I'm sure it's just the natural course of nature is all. Maybe La Push is just a one horse kinda town. Who knows. Reviews are love. And Thank you soo soo much to those of you who actually take the time to read and review my story. I appreciate it!**


	8. When the Animals Duke It Out

**A/N: I thought you all should know that this was NOT the turn this story was suppose to take. There was meant to be drama and confrontation and all that good stuff, but it was suppose to be vampire-centric. But then I realized with one or two or four exceptions that I hate vampires. So I was stuck. I had to think. And think. And think. And think. Nothing. Not one thing came to me. I waited and waited, and then Sam started to be an unbelievable asshole and something needed to shut him and his self-righteousness up. Really, the only one with power to do that was Jacob. Plus, I like the idea of the more animalistic side of the wolves. Sure, they're humans but they're not **_**just**_** humans. Really, I am sorry this has taken so long.**

We ran to the Cullen's in silence. Well sort of. No one was directing their thoughts at anyone else but everything was a blur from us attempting to think to ourselves. I caught a glimpse of Jacob's rage and frustration he felt towards himself. I also saw him tearing Sam to shreds. Jake made very vivid mental pictures. It wasn't pretty.

Quil was caught up in Claire and what this little tuft between packs would mean for him and his imprint. Would he be forced to go to Sam's pack in order to keep her?

Seth was flabbergasted. I thought the kid was smart. But obviously not. I was getting a big question mark of worry coming from his mind. I suppose he was just in shock.

_Leah, would you stop analyzing everyone else's thoughts. Do you not see your own? _Embry snapped at me.

My thoughts weren't exactly…expected. There was worry. Worry for everyone. It was very, very maternal. But everyone didn't just apply to the people in our pack. I hate Sam. I really do but the idea of him being killed, well, killed me.

_Embry, why don't-_ I was going to cuss him out and defend myself. I really didn't want to think that way about Sam. Honest to God.

_Leah, shut up. Embry lay off her. She loved him. I'm not upset she doesn't want Sam dead. That's a good thing,_ Jacob had come out his catatonic 'I'm ignoring my pack' state.

_Yeah, but out in the field she wanted to rip Jared's throat out!_

"_Embry, dude, out there we all wanted to rip someone's throat out. That was instinc, man. It wasn't us_. I think Seth has mastered the way of the wolf force. I didn't see him thinking about any of that.

Everyone went back to thinking about running. This deep version of Seth was throwing us all. The kid spoke with more wisdom than people half his age could. He understood something about being part animal that none of us had made the connection with before.

I knew we had reached the spot were we kept clothes because it reeked impossibly of leech, but our smell was also mixed in with it.

I picked up some of my clothes from the box we had in the woods with my teeth and trotted off to phase behind some bushes. I didn't need my little brother seeing me naked and I certainly didn't want to see him naked. I didn't need Embry to see me for that matter. He may be pissed at me but that didn't mean he was pissed at my body.

I felt it when they all phased back. When another wolf was phasing it was like there were a slight tingle tremoring through the air. They must have kept talking because I was already pulling up a pair of shorts and getting ready to bend back down and grab my bra. It was impossibly tangled. I should've let Alice buy me new clothes.

"Leah, hurry up, dammit!" Jacob yelled. His voice was strained. He was worried and that worried me.

"Just because all you have to throw on is a pair of shorts doesn't mean we're all that lucky!" I hollered back, fumbling with the bra straps. There were knots in the knots. Finally I got them undone and just as I was about to pull a tank top over my head Jacob appeared.

"Hey," I said eyeing him. He looked wary. Like all of the sudden the weight of the world had been dropped on his shoulders.

"Hi," he responded unenthusiastically.

"Don't be all sad. I'm sure this is nothing. You just wanted to kill Sam. I have that urge everyday of the week," I say shrugging my shoulders.

"It wasn't like that and you know it. You felt it, too. We all did. They all did," Jacob was blubbering. " I mean, it was almost like_ they_ were the enemy. Our _brothers_, Leah!"

"Oh, yeah, they're my brothers, because that's what I do. I sleep with my brothers." I'd only slept with Sam but Sam was included in what Jacob was saying.

"Your sarcasm isn't helping, Leah."

"Sorry," I mumbled, looking at my bare feet.

"Yeah, well, we should go inside," he headed towards the house where I was certain the rest of our pack was waiting with the vampires.

I nodded and made to catch up with him. Matching his steps stride for stride. And then Jacob stopped and he was kissing me. And it was almost violent. It was like there was pent up rage in his kiss. Astonishingly that didn't upset me and I was kissing him back. Because nothing was normal with Jacob and I. Taking our frustration out on each other in this way wouldn't be that odd, considering it was us.

When we finally broke apart our breath was coming out in pants and I could tell that my lips were slightly swollen. For the briefest of moments we just stood there staring at each other before he laced his hand with mine and directed us in the direction of the house.

"Jake?"

"Yes?" he asked.

"It's going to be okay. I'm sure it's just like family fued. We'll get over it." I wanted to sound reassuring and I wanted to make him not feel guilty. For obvious reasons I didn't care if someone beat the hell out of Sam. In my book he deserved it. "And at least you won't have to explain things to Dr. Sparkles. Edward will have already seen it in your head and Seth loves to talk to the leeches."

"Leah, I know you're trying to help," he started. "But stop." He grinned at me playfully.

"Shutting up now," I grinned. Maybe my useless rambling didn't help much but it got a smile out of him. And he seemed slightly happier about not having to personally relive his moment of wanted to tear Sam to shreds.

I still didn't get the big deal. I want to tear Sam to shreds everyday. And most days I'd like to tear Embry and Quil to shreds, probably Seth, too, if he wasn't my kid brother. But maybe that was just because I was a bitch with a nasty temper. It was what people expected of me. While they expected Jacob to be all peaceable.

When we finally reached the living room of the Cullen house everyone stared at Jacob with big, wide, golden eyes. No one seemed sure what to say.

"Edward has explain to me the, uh, way you felt today when you were confronting Sam," Carlise, aka Dr. Sparkles, began. "I can assure you that you haven't gone insane. It seems like it's normal Alpha instincts."

"Normal Alpha instincts?" Jacob asked.

"Well, yes. There are two Alpha's in one area. That is not common at all. With any species of animal," he was explain.

"But, doc, we're not animals," Jacob stated with a funny look on his face.

"Yes, indeed, you are. Not all the time but when you're in wolf form you are wolf. I believe that you could turn off your human senses completely while you're phased but I wouldn't advise trying it. I'm not sure if you could turn it back on." As Carlise was explain this I thought I heard one of the other guys mutter 'Taha Aki'.

"So my 'animal' instincts are what's making me want to kill Sam? And the rest of my pack kill his pack?"

Carlisle nodded.

"_Why_?" Jake asked raising an eyebrow and stretching out the word.

"Because there shouldn't be two Alphas, Jacob. There can only be one true Alpha," Edward put in.

"And how do we decide that?" Embry piped up.

"Yeah, really," Quil added.

"You ever watch animal planet?" Emmett asked from his spot on the sofa next to Rose. "Where the bears or the wolves or even the damn giraffes duke it out? You know fight to the death or near death?"

We all stared at him with confused expressions on our faces.

"Well, you Mr. Renegade Alpha have to fight the other Alpha. Whoever loses steps down. Whoever wins is the true Alpha and gets both packs."

"I don't want both packs, though," Jacob said making a face. "This is ridiculous. You're sure?"

"We can't be sure. But it's the only thing that makes sense. Edwards seen it through your mind. It's instinct Jacob."

We were royally fucked. Jacob was being forced to fight and if he fought and he won he would have to take over both packs. Something he didn't want and something they certainly didn't want. They were as loyal to Sam as we were to Jacob. Jacob could lose but the Alpha in him wouldn't allow it. He'd fight whether the humanity in him wanted to or. Our immense pride in ourselves would lead us into trouble.

**A/N: I would have had this up earlier but for two fucking days it wouldn't let me on!**


	9. Much to Young to Feel This Damn Old

**A/N: Yay for the site not shitting out again! I seriously missed it for the whole two days I couldn't get on. Oh, and another good review from Lacking A Better Name, alas, it probably won't happen again for a very, **_**very**_** long time! And thanks to the rest of you who stick with me! You rock!**

**Ps. I know Nessie is aging rather quickly but that's why the call it AU, right? I can change things up if need be.**

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_And the white line's getting longer and the saddle's getting cold  
I'm much too young to feel this damn old  
All my cards are on the table with no ace left in the hole  
I'm much too young to feel this damn old_

_Lord, I'm much too young to feel this damn old_

The Cullen's house had become a safe haven. This was very much a problem for Quil and Embry who always hated having to be around the leech smell. But once again Guitar Hero was helping out. Esme, the mothering creature she is, pointed them right to the gadget filled room the first day they had to stay in the house for more than an hour. If it wasn't for the smell they'd be in absolute teenage boy heaven. Well, almost.

There weren't any girls. Not than Quil needed the girls. It was just a problem for Embry. I would actually appreciate it if they got Embry a bunch of whores. Then maybe he'd stop staring at my ass. My chest. Oh, and my legs. Jacob had talked to him about it but Embry is very stubborn.

Now, we were all stuck at the Cullen's because we didn't have a 'territory'. We didn't know which land was ours and which was Sam's. Apparently in this Alpha War territory and getting all the animal particulars down was important. So Carlisle said.

This topic was how I ended up alone in a room with Nessie. Jacob was off at a meeting, that I wasn't invited to, with our elders, and I was stuck at the vampire crypt. Not only was I stuck at the crypt but I was stuck in a room with the girl my boyfriend imprinted on. And Nessie wasn't just any girl. She was beautiful. The girl had creamy, pale skin, big brown doe eyes, long wavy hair, and a voice that could charm angels. I _hate_ her.

"Leah, are you alright?"

I didn't even realize she was trying to talk to me.

"Do what? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I lied shaking my head trying to come back down to reality. I made myself look her in the eyes. Today she looked like a prê-teen. Around twelve or thirteen, maybe.

"You looked like you were in pain," she said trying to hide a smirk that played on her lips.

"Sorry kid," I mumbled.

"Leah, I have a question. Is it alright if I ask you?" Her head was slightly tilted and she looked overly cautious.

"Uh, sure." I had to remind myself to be polite to her. The Cullen's, well most of them, were being very cool about letting all of us hang around their place contaminating it with our wolf smell.

"Do you remember that first day you let me talk to you?" I nodded my head. "And you said I could talk to you anytime?" I nodded again. "Well, I have something very big I'd like to talk to you about. It's, well, it's about Jacob."

I had to swallow. That was a pill. Why would she want to talk to me about Jacob? Unless she liked wanted him or something. Maybe she was going to act on her claim. I mean really Jacob was _hers_ because that's theway imprinting works.

"Uhh, I don't think this is, uhh, appropriate, for you and me to discuss, Ness," I said as kindly as I could manage. I was also trying to control the wolf in me. "Maybe you should talk to Jacob."

Right. Stay cool. Remain uncaring. Don't kill the child. Yet.

Got a game plan. Kill Jacob and_ then_ kill Nessie.

"No!" Nessie shouted. "I can't talk to Jacob. I need to talk to you. Please, Leah. Just listen. It's so very important."

Her voice was pleading with me and her lips were turned down into a frown. So I caved.

"Ok," I sighed. "But I reserve the right to runaway phasing."

She laughed.

"I want you to know that I want you with Jacob," Nessie started much to my shock. I swear I felt my jaw drop down.

"Wha-what?" I finally managed to stutter out.

"Yeah, you and Jacob. It's what I want. You're good for each other. I remember when you were sad." She didn't look at me as if she was feeling sympathetic of my feeling. She looked, well envious. "I mean, I envy that you got to feel something, anything, but you belong with each other. I know it in my heart."

She was envious of my pain? Only the child of Edward and Bella.

"Nessie, kid, listen. You do realize what Jacob being your imprint mean, correct?" Oh god. Was I really going to tell her about having great having _that_ bond could be? I mean this was the man I loved with every fiber of my being and I was about to be selling him off to a twelve year old who really wasn't even two yet!

"Yeah, I do," she said firmly, while rolling her eyes. "It means it would be just another thing I don't get to decide for myself."

That one caught me off guard too. When did she get so grown up? And why did that make me feel so damn old?

I wasn't given a change to respond.

"Listen, I love my mom and dad very much, but you know them. I will always be in a bubble, well not always, but as long as they can keep me in the bubble. And Jacob is part of that bubble because he's not something I've chosen for myself. You chose Jacob. Jacob chose you. And that is beautiful, Leah," she said staring at me with a slight smile on her face. "You know why it's beautiful? Because it's the real thing."

Here I was worried that this child, because Nessie was a child despite the grownup things that came out of her mouth, was going to ruin my life. But here she was giving me everything she had and everything I wanted.

I was wrong. She was nothing like Bella. And she wasn't very much like Edward, either. She was Nessie. She wasn't one of a kind but she was special. Because despite the fact that she was meant to be a spoiled brat she had her head placed firmly on her shoulders.

"Hey, Ness?" I asked after staying silent for what seemed like eons.

"Yes?" She looked at my hopefully. I'm sure my lack of words upset her. But I wasn't very good with them. I wasn't good and describing myself or sharing feelings. They were all foreign concepts to me. "Do you want a friend? Like a real friend? Someone who wanted you to experience life the right way?"

She nodded, "More than anything."

"Well, you've got one." I grinned at her brightly.

Nessie would need someone to talk to about boys. I know about boys. She'd need someone to talk to about music. Music other than Claire de Lune. I know about country and rock. She'd need someone to watch cheesy, tasteless movies with. I _love_ cheesy, tasteless movies. And then one day Nessie would need someone to help her escape her parents. I know all about escaping.

"Oh, but we've got to get you eating more human foods. There is more to life than blood, kiddo," I stood up and beckoned her to follow me.

The Cullen's had supposedly tried to get Nessie to eat human food. But I don't think they'd tried hard enough.

"But, Leah-" She started.

"Hey, now. You want to chose things? You want to be different than your wacko family?" She nodded.

"Then chocolate is your best friend. So is bread. And cheese. And noodles. Carbs are great." Nessie was laughing and shaking her head and I climbed into the cupboard of the big house pulling all the things out. Well, minus the cheese.

"I have another question," she said finally.

"No, we can't coat this stuff in blood," I admonished firmly.

"It's not that. Well it's about blood."

I made a face. "What if I get my period? See, I read this book, and well I'm part human, and my mom hasn't even talked to me about it. It could happen, Leah, and I'm scared."

Bella was a horrible mother. If I ever decided to have children I'd do a better job. She would be the reason I did a better job.

"I'm you're friend, right?" She nodded. "Well, then I'll help you. Not that it requires help. It just will mean you're normal."

It didn't hurt me to talk about that for once. It was just another topic of conversation.

"Are you sure I can eat this?" Nessie asked me suspiciously as I handed her an oreo dipped in peanut butter.

"Yes, now EAT!"

Laughing, she did, and a wide grin spread across her face.

"Yummy, it beats blood," she giggled. I rolled my eyes.

And that was how Jacob found us. Stuffing our faces and sitting on the couch watching Jon and Kate Plus 8. He also found a spot on the sofa in between us. Holding my hand and acting like Nessie's big brother.

I'm sure there were serious things the two of us needed to talk about, like the meeting, but that could wait. Being normal and acting like friends was so much more important.

**A/N: I may do a oneshot of Jake's meeting with the elders. Sam was there too. I bet it was fun. I'm not sure though. What do you guys think?**

**Oh and PLEASE review.**


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